Method for decreasing hydrophobicity of peat, bark and rock-wool, soilless mixes used for plant growth, promoting easier, faster and more even watering of such mixes without plant injury and providing residual activity for future watering

ABSTRACT

A novel and improved method for relieving hydrophobicity of peat moss, bark and rockwool used in horticultural media for plant propagation using an effective level of a composition consisting of certain copolymerized alkane oxides as described. A more effective method of delivering these materials based on a composition of hydrous, amorphous silica using the compositions of the present invention is described.

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/880,824,filed on Jun. 24, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,937, which in turn, is aFWC of application Ser. No. 08/407,493 filed Mar. 17, 1995 nowabandoned, which in turn is a FWC of application Ser. No. 08/036,339filed Mar. 24, 1993 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Products normally used in the production of soilless mixes forgreenhouse crop production are often water repellent (hydrophobic). Thehydrophobic surface chemistry of these materials, particularly thosefrom organic sources, is somewhat peculiar and does not relate well toother surfaces. For example, sphagnum peat moss, hypnum peat moss,reed-sedge peat, composted bark and rockwool often become very difficultto wet which defeats the purpose for which they were originallyintended. The difficulty in wetting increases as the mix dries out,which can occur in storage, after preparation, or when used to pre-fillpots and flats by the grower and stored for some time before use. Thissituation presents many problems to the grower because getting the mixevenly wetted is of paramount importance to the healthy growth of plantsor seeds that are grown in the mix.

A possible answer to this problem is to add an appropriate surfactant tothe mix to reduce surface tension between the applied water and thehydrophobic mix components. But, the use of materials currently incommerce is not entirely satisfactory. Relatively high rates of thesematerials are required to get good wetting properties of the mix andthese rates can be injurious to crop growth. Furthermore, theconventional dry formulations of these materials, which are often basedon corn cob grits and vermiculite, do not work well because thesurfactant must first be dissolved from these carriers and bind to thehydrophobic surfaces of the peat, rockwool or bark before they becomeactivated. Consequently, several waterings are normally required beforethey become active. Furthermore there is an environmental concernbecause the described compounds contain nonyl-phenol ethoxylates orother mono or di-alkyl phenol ethoxylates. The conjeners of thesecompounds are known to bioaccumulate in the biosphere, they have adeleterious affect on fresh water crustaceans, and their use has beenbanned in many countries.

The majority of the surfactants currently discovered and developed havebeen designed to give fast wetting because they are used as cleansers,soaps and detergents. Fast wetting, however, is not necessarilydesirable because surfactants would have to be applied with eachwatering. What is more desirable is rewetting of the peat or othersubstances following treatment with a surfactant giving residualactivity.

Unfortunately many such surfactants can also have biological activity.They can, in fact, be detrimental to plant growth and many are actuallyfatal and can act as herbicides. Others have other biological activityand can cause death to insects. Many of these compounds have beenpreviously tested and were found to interfere with seedling growth. Somesurfactants act by disrupting membrane integrity as the hydrophobe bondsto the phospholipid membrane of the cell wall. Others can act as plantgrowth regulators and, while their use may be beneficial in achievingcertain results, they cause undesirable effects in greenhouse cropproduction.

Furthermore, if the selected surfactant is to remain active in the mixbeyond the initial watering, it is desirable that the hydrophobe of thesurfactant bond tightly to the hydrophobic mix component and not leachout when plants are repeatedly watered.

In addition, it is highly desirable that surfactants be compatible withfertilizers and other water soluble chemical charge stocks used inpreparation of the final horticultural mix.

Although surfactants may be applied as a liquid, it is also desirablethat they may be presented in a dry formulation for ease of applicationand use by the grower. This creates an additional problem in that mostcommon carriers, such as vermiculite, corn cob grits, clay and so forth,also absorb the surfactant or tightly bind them to their surfaces whichmakes it necessary for the surfactant to first be dissolved from thecarrier before it can become active.

Although there are over 4000 surfactants currently in commercial use,the discovery of a surfactant for use in soilless mixes is not a trivialproblem because it must meet certain specific and difficult criteria,namely:

(1) Be compatible with the surface chemistry of peat, rockwool and bark,

(2) Safe for plant growth, particularly seed germination and seedlinggrowth,

(3) Bind tightly to mix components so that it is not leached from thematrix following watering and have residual activity for a full normalcropping season,

(4) Give not only fast initial wetting but also and more importantlyrewetting after application to the mix components,

(5) Be compatible with fertilizers and other chemical components and

(6) Have ease of application and be effective in both a liquid and solidformulation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Surprisingly we have found that certain surfactants belonging to thegeneral class of polyoxyalkylenes meet conditions 1, 2, 3 and 4 and thatspecific formulations of some members of this class meet conditions 5and 6. Furthermore, these materials are superior in all six respects toknown products used for this utility.

Some of the useful surfactants of this invention are described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,764,567, 3,013,118, 2,677,700 and 2,674,619. These patentsteach the preparation and use of such materials as surface active agentsfor use as cleansers and detergents and as wetting agents in thetextile, rubber, paper, lacquer, leather and like industries, but nomention is made of their use in soils or soilless horticultural media,nor in their interaction with living organisms, nor for generalapplications in the agricultural or horticultural industries.Furthermore, despite the age of these patents, their use for suchapplications is unknown.

To date, no correlation has been shown between a chemical structure of aparticular class of surfactants and its phytotoxicity (in this case cropsafety) to seed germination and plant growth. Indeed the converse istrue with most surfactants known to be injurious to plants. This is notsurprising as surfactants in general because their solubilizing anddispersing nature will dissolve plant cuticles, interfere with plantmembranes and generally disrupt membrane integrity in tender planttissue because their hydrophobes will bond to such lipophilic organsfound in plants such as emerging roots, root hairs, radicles andhypocotyls. The discovery of such surfactants that will maintain goodwetting properties in the surrounding media without interfering withplant growth is therefore surprising and unusual.

This invention is therefore directed to a novel method for relievinghydrophobicity of components such as peat, bark, rockwool and the like,which are used in horticultural mixes. As a result, these soilless mixesare easy to wet without causing plant injury at the recommended ratesand with a very high margin of crop safety. Particular compositionsdescribed in the invention have been developed to overcome the inheritproblems of the parent chemistry in being compatible with fertilizersand other like components used in crop production. A particularcomposition is based on the use of hydrous, amorphous silica, which is anon-metallic oxide, in combination with the surfactants used in thisinvention. This carrier overcomes problems that are associated withother carriers such as corm cob grits, and other similar materials nowcommonly used.

In accordance with this invention a surfactant is applied to soillessmixes at preparation, or during the course of crop production, at anappropriate amount. The surfactants used in this invention may berepresented by Formulas (I), (II) and (III).

Formula I

    HO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.a --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 (CH.sub.3)O).sub.b --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.c H

Where a and c represent the weight percentages of the ethylene oxideportions of the polyoxyalkylene and the sum of a and c is from 10 to 20percent, where b represents the weight percentage of the propylene oxideportion of the polyoxyalkylene and is from 90 to 80 percent, and wherethe molecular weight of the propylene oxide portion of thepolyoxyalkylene is from 1,900 to 2,000.

Formula II

    HO(CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 O).sub.d --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.e --(CH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.f H

Where d and f represent the weight percentages of the propylene oxideportions of the polyoxyalkylene and the sum of d and f is from 20 to 90percent, where e represents the weight percentage of the ethylene oxideportion of the polyoxyalkylene and is from 80 to 10 percent, and wherethe molecular weight of the propylene oxide portions of thepolyoxyalkylene total from 1,700 to 3,100.

Formula III

    CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.g --O--(CH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.h --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.i --H

Where g is an integer from 3 to 13, h is an integer from 4 to 12, and iis an integer from 8 to 16.

EXAMPLE 1

EVALUATION OF SELECTED TEST COMPOUNDS FOR RELIEVING HYDROPHOBICITY OFPEAT

Products for evaluation were tested by preparing solutions of variousconcentrations, filling a 90×15 mm round petri dish with the testcompound and floating a dried 40×8 mm compressed peat pellet on top ofthe test solution. The time to wet the pellet completely was recorded inminutes and seconds. Each test solution was replicated three times.Following the initial test the pellets were set aside for drying for usein the test to determine rewetting. Rewetting was determined by placingthe air-dried peat pellets in a 90×15 mm petri dish filled withdeionized water. Again time required to obtain full hydrator wasmeasured and recorded in minutes and seconds. A control consisting ofdeionized water was used as a standard to which all other compounds werecompared in each test. The numerical values obtained for severalrepresentative compounds of the invention and standard compounds usedfor this purpose are given in Table I. Values are the means of threereplicates. Values for the control are dependent upon humidity,temperature and state of the peat used in producing the pellets and areincluded in each example for comparison. In all cases a standard(compound 101 or compound 168) was also included so that a comparisoncould also be made of surfactant activity between experiments.

                  TABLE I                                                         ______________________________________                                        Average Time                                                                  (Minutes:Seconds)                                                                                  Rate     Initial                                         Compound             (ppm)    Wetting                                                                              Rewetting                                ______________________________________                                        COMPOUNDS OF FORMULA II                                                       Control               0       14:30  16:00                                    102     25% ethylene 250       7:30  7:00                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       6:30  6:30                                             2500 MW      1000      6:00  4:30                                             propylene oxide                                                       101     10% ethylene 250       6:30  5:30                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       6:00  4:00                                             3100 MW      1000      5:30  3:30                                             propylene oxide                                                       105     45% ethylene 250       7:00  6:30                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       6:00  6:00                                             2500 MW      1000      5:30  4:00                                             propylene oxide                                                       106     80% ethylene 250       8:30  6:00                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       6:30  4:00                                             2500 MW      1000      5:30  3:00                                             propylene oxide                                                       188     10% ethylene 250       7:00  6:30                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       5:30  4:45                                             2500 MW      1000      6:00  3:30                                             propylene oxide                                                       189     20% ethylene 250       7:15  7:00                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       6:00  6:30                                             1700 MW      1000      5:00  4:45                                             propylene oxide                                                       All of the compounds listed were effective in reducing hydrophobicity of      peat with compound 101 giving the best response followed by                   compound 102.                                                                 COMPOUNDS OF FORMULA II and III                                               Control               0       42:00  34:00                                    101     15% ethylene 250      18:30  9:30                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500      17:30  7:00                                             3100 MW      1000     11:30  3:30                                             propylene oxide                                                       149     1,2 propanediol;                                                                           250      24:00  9:30                                             oxirane, methyl-                                                                           500      20:00  8:30                                             polymer with 1000     15:00  4:30                                             oxirane                                                               168     C4 alcohol;  250      21:30  7:30                                             propoxylated 500      17:30  7:00                                             (7-9 Mol);   1000     10:30  3:00                                             ethoxylated                                                                   (9-11 Mol)                                                            151     C10-C12 alcohols;                                                                          250      21:30  8:30                                             propoxylated 500      19:00  7:30                                             (5 Mol);     1000     12:30  4:00                                             ethoxylated                                                                   (10 Mol)                                                              190     C8 alcohol;  250      20:30  9:00                                             propoxylated 500      17:30  7:00                                             (4-6 Mol);   1000     12:00  4:00                                             ethoxylated                                                                   (8-12 Mol)                                                            COMPOUNDS OF FORMULA I and III                                                Control               0       37:30  34:00                                    168     C4 alcohol;  250      18:00  7:00                                             propoxylated 500      16:00  6:30                                             (7-9 Mol);   1000     11:00  3:00                                             ethoxylated                                                                   (9-11 Mol)                                                            154     MW 1950      250      26:30  9:30                                             propylene oxide;                                                                           500      19:30  6:30                                             20% ethylene 1000     15:30  4:00                                             oxide                                                                 155     MW 1950      250      26:30  11:00                                            propylene oxide;                                                                           500      19:30  5:30                                             10% ethylene 1000     16:00  3:00                                             oxide                                                                 ______________________________________                                    

All three classes of compounds were effective in reducing hydrophobicityof peat moss. In general the selected compounds of Formula III weresuperior to the selected compound of Formula II. Compounds of Formula Ihad good properties but in general were not as effective as those ofFormulas II and III.

In the next test, selected compounds of the present invention weretested to show their superiority over materials currently available.

                  TABLE I (A)                                                     ______________________________________                                        Time (Minutes:Seconds)                                                                             Rate                                                     Compound             (ppm)    Wetting                                                                              Rewetting                                ______________________________________                                        Control               0       26:30  22:30                                    101     10% ethylene 250      14:00  6:30                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500      12:00  4:00                                             3100 MW      1000      9:30  2:30                                             propylene oxide                                                       102     20% ethylene 250      19:30  7:30                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500      15:00  5:00                                             2500 MW      1000     12:00  3:30                                             propylene oxide                                                       168     C4 alcohol;  250      18:00  6:00                                             propoxylated 500      17:00  5:00                                             (7-9 Mol);   1000     12:00  3:30                                             ethoxylated                                                                   (9-11 Mol)                                                            151     C10-C12 alcohols;                                                                          250      17:30  9:30                                             propoxylated 500      14:30  8:00                                             (5 Mol);     1000     11:30  4:30                                             ethoxylated                                                                   (10 Mol)                                                              154     MW 1950      250      18:00  15:00                                            propylene oxide;                                                                           500      14:30  13:15                                            20% ethylene 1000     11:30  4:00                                             oxide                                                                 A.      2,4 diamylphenol                                                                           250      11:00  10:45                                            9 ethoxylate 500      10:45  6:50                                                          1000     10:35  5:15                                     B.      nonyl phenol 9                                                                             250      12:00  19:10                                            ethoxylate   500      10:00  9:00                                                          1000      9:30  7:30                                     C.      50% nonyl phenol                                                                           250      18:00  18:15                                            9 ethoxylate; 50%                                                                          500      12:00  10:00                                            tall oil rosin                                                                             1000      8:30  8:30                                             ethoxylates                                                           ______________________________________                                    

The selected compounds: numbers 101, 102, 168 and 151 were superior inperformance in terms of rewetting to the current products available asgiven by compounds A, B and C while compound 154 was superior tocompound C.

EXAMPLE 2

REDUCTION OF HYDROPHOBICITY OR COMPOSTED BARK BY SELECTED MEMBERS OF THEPREFERRED COMPOUNDS

Reduction of hydrophobicity for composted bark was tested in a mannersimilar that for peat. Composted bark was obtained from a commercialmanufacturer, sized to particles less than 200 mm using an ASTM standardnumber 12 sieve. Samples of the dried bark were then treated with theappropriate level of the preferred compounds air-dried to 18-20%moisture content following which 200 cc of each sample were placed in a60×130 mm tall cylinder (percolation tube) to which a screen had beenaffixed at one end to hold the sample in place. The percolation tube wastapped several times to insure even settling of the samples. The tubewas next secured to a ring stand by means of a clamp in an uprightposition and a 600 ml graduated beaker was placed under the bottom tocollect any effluent. Next 200 ml of distilled water was added slowly tothe top of the tube and the effluent collected and measured in thebeaker below. The ml of water retained by the 200 cc sample wasrecorded. The sample was then removed from the tube, broken apart andexamined visually to determine the percent of the bark that was wet.Results for this test are given in Table II.

                  TABLE II                                                        ______________________________________                                        REDUCTION OF HYDROPHOBICITY OF BARK BY                                        VARIOUS SELECTED COMPOUNDS;                                                   VALUES ARE THE MEAN OF TWO REPLICATES                                                                   Ml of 200                                                           Rate      Retained by                                                         (Ounces   200 cc of                                           Compound        Cubic yd) Mix       % Wet                                     ______________________________________                                        Control             0         25      10                                      101    10% ethylene 250       65      60                                             oxide capped with                                                                          500       90      85                                             3100 MW      1000      95      100                                            propylene oxide                                                        168    C4 alcohol;  250       90      80                                             propoxylated 7-9                                                                           500       100     100                                            Mol: ethoxylated                                                                           1000      105     100                                            9-11 Mol                                                               151    C10-C12 alcohols;                                                                          250       85      80                                             propoxylated 5                                                                             500       95      95                                             Mol; ethoxylated                                                                           1000      100     100                                            10 Mol                                                                 154    20% propylene                                                                              250       50      50                                             oxide 1950 MW                                                                              500       65      75                                             ethylene oxide                                                                             1000      85      85                                      ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 3

EVALUATION OF SELECTED COMPOUNDS IN REDUCING HYDROPHOBICITY OF ROCKWOOL

To evaluate the effect of compounds on reducing hydrophobicity ofrockwool, solutions of various concentrations were prepared and 500 mlplaced in a 600 ml beaker. Next, 50×50×80 mm blocks of a rockwool usedfor horticultural purposes and obtained from the manufacturer werefloated on the surface. The time required for the sample to sink intothe test solution was recorded following which the samples were removed,drained to remove excess liquid and dried in a microwave oven withfrequent turning to insure even distribution of the test solution. Thesamples were then left for 24 hours following which they were placed ina similar manner in beakers containing distilled water and the time tosink remeasured. Results for selected compounds are shown in Table III.

                  TABLE III                                                       ______________________________________                                        REDUCTION OF HYDROPHOBICITY IN ROCKWOOL USED                                  FOR HORTICULTURAL PURPOSES BY                                                 VARIOUS SELECTED COMPOUNDS                                                                           Initial                                                                       Wetting    Rewetting                                                  Rate    Time to Sink;                                                                            Time to Sink;                               Compound       ppm     Min:Sec    Min:Sec                                     ______________________________________                                        Control            0       3:30     3:30                                      101   10% ethylene 125     1:45     0:25                                            oxide capped 150     1:50     0:20                                            with 3100 MW 300     0:50     0:10                                            propylene oxide                                                         102   15% ethylene 125     1:50     0:35                                            oxide capped 150     1:50     0:40                                            with 2500 MW 300     1:30     0:30                                            propylene oxide                                                         168   4 carbon alcohol                                                                           125     1:30     0:30                                            propoxylated 150     1:45     0:30                                            (7-9 moles); 300     1:00     0:25                                            ethoxylated                                                                   (9-11 moles)                                                            151   10-12 carbon 125     1:30     0:35                                            alcohols     250     1:25     0:30                                            propoxylated 300     0:50     0:30                                            (5 Mol);                                                                      ethoxylated                                                                   (10 Mol)                                                                154   20% ethylene 125     2:00     0:45                                            oxide 1950 MW                                                                              250     1:45     0:35                                            propylene oxide                                                                            300     1:30     0:30                                      ______________________________________                                    

One of the preferred compounds (10% ethylene oxide capped with 3100 MWpropylene oxide: #101) was next evaluated in a pilot plant study underthe manufacturers conditions to determine its effectiveness incomparison with the surfactant which was currently in use (nonyl phenol9 ETO). Surprisingly, in addition to its superior performance and cropsafety, this product also had advantages over the previous technology inthat it was much more stable under the conditions of the manufacturingprocess at one third the rate of the currently used compound andresulted in a substantial gain in the acceptable product as reflected bythe percent loss following each batch. The results for this study aregiven in Table IV.

                  TABLE IV                                                        ______________________________________                                        PERCENT NOT ACCEPTABLE (LOSS) AS MEASURED                                     BY WETTING PROPERTIES FOR TWO SURFACTANTS AT                                  DIFFERENT RATES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF                                    ROCKWOOL PRODUCTS FOR HORTICULTURAL                                           USE                                                                                      Nonyl Phenol 9ETO                                                                          Compound 101                                          Batch      900 ppm      300 ppm                                               ______________________________________                                        A          28%          5%                                                    B          31%          8%                                                    C          27%          8%                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 4

IMPROVED CROP SAFETY OF COMPOSITIONS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION OVEREXISTING COMMERCIAL STANDARDS

Selected compounds for those described previously were next evaluatedfor their crop safety. The most initiate contact that a growing plantcan have and the method which most tests a chemical's interaction withsensitive plant processes is exemplified in the following testprocedure. The method depends upon seed germination where the basicmetabolic pathways are all in early development as well as both cellenlargement and mitotic processes for new cell growth. In addition thechemical is in intimate contact with the seed and newly developing planttissues without the buffering effect of soil or the surrounding media.The procedure for the test is as follows: a disc of Whatman's #1 filterpaper is placed in a 90×15 mm Petri dish. Solutions of appropriateconcentrates are prepared and a sufficient quantity of the test solutionis added to each petri dish so that the filter paper is completelysaturated. Any excess liquid is drained off to prevent saturation andanaerobes in the germinating seed. Next 10-12 seeds of Impatienssultania, cv. White Elfin (a species and cultivar with known sensitivityto surfactants) are sown on the filter paper and the glass (orappropriate plastic) dish cover added. The covered dishes are nextplaced in a growth room with a 12 hour photo period with temperaturemaintained at 20° C. Hydrator within the petri dish is maintained byadding distilled water as needed to support plant growth during thecourse of the experiment. Seed germination and seedling growth aremonitored throughout the course of the experiment with data taken at 7and 14 days after sowing. Morphological anomalies are recorded accordingto the following scale:

5=no effect/same as control

4=10-15% inhibition of seedling growth: marginally acceptable. Hypocotyland radicle development normal. Seedling expected to produce a normalplant.

3=20-30% inhibition of seedling growth; unacceptable.

2=50% inhibition: radicles emerge, some cell division, root caps may bebrown, necrotic or dead.

1=75-90% inhibition of growth; seeds germinate but radicles do notcontinue mitosis.

0=seedling death, failure of seed germination.

Results for selected compounds are given in Table V.

                  TABLE V                                                         ______________________________________                                        EFFECTS OF VARIOUS SURFACTANTS ON SEEDLING GROWTH                             AND DEVELOPMENT OF IMPATIENS SULTANIA,                                        CV. WHITE ELVIN; RADICLES 7 DAYS;                                             HYPOCOTYLS 14 DAYS; 0 = NO GROWTH; 5 = BEST                                                 (Plant Growth Response)                                         Compound        Rate (ppm)                                                                              Radicles Hypocotyls                                 ______________________________________                                        Control             0         5.0    5.0                                      101   10% ethylene oxide                                                                          100       5.0    5.0                                            capped with 3100 MW                                                                         250       5.0    5.0                                            propylene oxide                                                                             500       4.5    5.0                                                          1000      3.0    3.5                                                          1500      3.0    3.0                                      B.    2,4 diamyl phenol 9                                                                         100       3.5    3.5                                            ethoxylate    250       2.0    2.5                                                          500       2.0    2.5                                                          1000      1.0    1.0                                      C.    50% nonylphenol 9                                                                           100       2.5    3.0                                            ethoxylate and 50%                                                                          250       2.0    2.0                                            tall oil      500       1.0    2.0                                            ethoxylates   1000      0      0                                        154   1950 MW propylene                                                                           250       5.0    4.5                                            oxide; 20% ethylene                                                                         500       4.0    3.5                                            oxide         1000      4.5    3.5                                      102   20% ethylene oxide                                                                          250       5.0    5.0                                            capped with 2500 MW                                                                         500       5.0    5.0                                            propylene oxide                                                                             1000      5.0    4.0                                      168   4 carbon alcohol,                                                                           250       5.0    5.0                                            propoxylated  500       4.0    4.0                                            (7-9 mol); ethoxylated                                                                      1000      3.5    3.5                                            (9-11 Mol)                                                              151   10-12 carbon alcohol                                                                        250       5.0    5.0                                            propoxylated  500       4.0    4.0                                            (5 Mol); ethoxylated                                                                        1000      4.0    4.0                                            (10 Mol)                                                                ______________________________________                                    

Examples of the preferred chemistry and their formulation on amorphoussilica were next evaluated in a greenhouse soilless mix for plugproduction of selected crop species known to be susceptible to wettingagent injury. "Plug production", the practice of germinating seed intiny capsules containing the soilless media for subsequent replantinginto larger containers, is a standard practice in the industry but isparticularly appropriate for demonstrating the effectiveness and safetyof the compound as the seed and germinating seedling is grown in a verysmall ecosystem. The preferred compound and formulation together withother selected materials used as standards was incorporated into the mixat the preferred rate of 3 ounces/cubic yd and at rates of 6 and 9ounces/cubic yard to demonstrate crop safety over existing materials.

None of the compounds of the present invention caused injury to any ofthe species tested: Impatiens, Begonia, Poa Pratensis, Celosia,Lycopersicum, Coleus, Allium or Alyssium at three times the effectiveuse rate of 3 ounces per cubic yard of mix. The commercial standardswere safe to these crops at 2 times the effective use rate to all of thespecies tested but not to Impatiens, Allysium and Begonia at three timesthe recommended effective use rates.

EXAMPLE 5

REDUCTION TO PRACTICE UNDER COMMERCIAL CONDITIONS

To reduce the present invention to practice selected compounds of thepresent invention were evaluated in cooperation with a commercialmanufacturer of soilless mixes.

Two of the selected compounds (#101; 10% ethylene oxide propoxylatedwith 3100 MW propylene oxide and # 168; a 4 carbon alcohol; propoxylated7-9 Mol and ethoxylated 9-11 Mol) were prepared as 0.33% solutions and15 ml of this solution was applied to 5 g of "peat moss soilless mix"and mixed for 30 seconds. The product which the manufacturer wascurrently using (# 158: 2,4 diamyl phenol ETO 9) was included as astandard and applied in a similar manner. The control received anequivalent amount of water containing no surfactant and was manipulatedin a similar fashion. Following application the treated materials weredried to 10% moisture and evaluated for their ease of wetting by placinga measured amount of the mixture (1/2 tsp) on the surface of a 6-oz,styrofoam cup filled 2/3 full of water.

The time to completely wet the samples was recorded in Min:Sec with theresults as follows:

    ______________________________________                                                    Mean time to wet (3 replicates)                                   Compound    Min:Sec                                                           ______________________________________                                        101         30:25                                                             168          7:15                                                             158 (standard)                                                                            79:12                                                             Control     >180:00                                                           ______________________________________                                    

Compounds 101 and 168 of the present invention were clearly superior tothe commercial standard, compound 158, and furthermore gave moreconsistent results.

Following this test, a plant study using the same rates on commercialquantities of the growing media was conducted with the same results.

EXAMPLE 6

DEVELOPMENT OF A SUPERIOR WATER DISPERSIBLE, DRY FORMULATION FORAPPLYING THE COMPOUNDS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is recognized that the use of corn cob grits, vermiculite, clay andother carriers is a well established procedure for the delivery of drymaterials in agricultural and horticultural compositions of effectiveingredients. To answer the question of an improved and novel method fordelivering these materials as a dry formulation and to meet the needsfor a more concentrated product studies were conducted to determine amore effective method for delivery of such materials. An example of thepreferred chemistry was incorporated at various levels onto corncobgrits, clay, vermiculite and amorphous/hydrous silica.

Examples of the preferred chemistry were incorporated on to selectedcarriers by placing an appropriate amount of the carrier and anappropriate amount of the desired compound in a cylindrical containerwhich was then placed on a rolling apparatus to simulate the process ofa ribbon blender for 30 minutes. Following the blending process thesamples were removed and allowed to sit for 24 hours following whichthey were examined for absorption onto the carrier. A desirableformulation was one which had free flowing characteristics and wouldpass through a 20 cm diameter×20 cm tall funnel with a 2 cm openingwithout clogging or bridging.

The prepared formulations were then mixed with a sufficient quantity ofpeat moss to give the desired concentration of the active ingredient inthe final mixture. These samples were then air-dried to 12-15% moisturecontents. An equivalent amount of the carrier containing no activeingredient (0 ounces/cubic yard) was also added to act as a control andto demonstrate the effectiveness (or lack of activity) of the carrierand manipulated in the same fashion.

The following test was conducted to simulate conditions of placing themix in a pot used for growing plants and to determine the number ofwaterings that a grower would have to perform to get good wettingcharacteristics in the growth media.

The prepared samples (200 cc) were placed in 6×13 cm tall cylinders towhich a wire screen had been affixed on one end to hold the testpreparation in place. The cylinders were tamped to insure even settlingof the mix and then affixed upright to a ring stand by means of a clampso that a 250 ml graduated beaker could be placed under the preparedcylinder. Next, 200 ml of water were added slowly to the top of eachcylinder to measure the rate of absorption of water by the test mixture.The effluent was collected and measured in the beaker placed below thetest cylinder. The resulting effluent was then reapplied until a totalof 110 ml of water had been retained by the mix. (This value had beenpreviously determined as the optimum level of water which 200 cc of peatunder the conditions of the test could absorb). After each addition ofwater a representative sample tube was removed (and finally when 110 mlof water had been absorbed) and examined visually to determine the % wetof the test material. The data are summarized in Table VI as the numberof passes required to obtain complete hydrature of the mix (110 mlabsorbed and 100% wet).

                  TABLE VI                                                        ______________________________________                                        NUMBER OF PASSES REQUIRED TO OBTAIN COMPLETE                                  HYDRATION OF PEAT AS MODIFIED BY VARIOUS                                      SURFACTANT FORMULATIONS AND CARRIERS                                                                    Active                                                             Formulation                                                                              Ingredient                                                         Rate       Rate     Number of                                  Formulation    (On/Yard)  (On/Yard)                                                                              Passes                                     ______________________________________                                        1.   Peat Alone (Control)                                                                        0          0      8.5                                      2.   Corn Cob Grits Alone                                                                        16         0      8.5                                      3.   Vermiculite Alone                                                                           9          0      9.0                                      4.   Silica Alone  8          0      8.0                                      5.   Compound 101 Silica:                                                                        8          4      1.0                                           (50%)                                                                    6.   Compound 101 Silica                                                                         6          3      1.5                                           (50%)                                                                    7.   Compound 101 Silica:                                                                        4          2      2.5                                           (50%)                                                                    8.   Compound 101 Corn                                                                           16         4      4.0                                           Cob Grits: (15%)                                                         9.   Compound 101  9          4      3.0                                           Vermiculite (40%)                                                        10.  Compound 168 Silica                                                                         8          4      1.0                                           (50%)                                                                    11.  Compound 168 Silica                                                                         6          3      1.0                                           (50%)                                                                    12.  Compound 168 Silica                                                                         4          2      2.5                                           (50%)                                                                    13.  AquaGro Vermiculite                                                                         16         8      3.5                                           (A Commercial                                                                 Standard)                                                                14.  AquaGro (Silica) 50%                                                                        16         8      2.5                                      ______________________________________                                    

Neither corn cob grits nor the vermiculite had sufficient absorptioncapacity to hold the desired concentration (at least 50%) of the desiredchemistry. The appigulite day used in these studies had sufficientabsorption capacity but did not perform well in efficacy tests.

The use of an amorphous silica based carrier for compounds of thepresent invention as well as other products in commerce was clearlysuperior in performance to the preexisting technology. The superiorityof this carrier was surprising for this utility.

Finally, it is recognized that compounds and compositions of the presentinvention have certain unusual physical properties which make themdifficult to use under practical conditions due to their incompatibilitywith aqueous ionic solutions such as fertilizers.

This problem may be overcome by adding an appropriate level from 1-49%but most desirably form 1-15% of a suitable co-solvent, emulsifyingagent or dispersing agent such as a mono or di-alkyl phenol ethoxylateor similar materials which are known to the art.

The compounds and compositions of the present invention may be usedalone or in combination with each other or with other compositions wherethey are the major component.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for reducing hydrophobicity of soillessmixes comprising the step of:applying a surfactant composition to asoilless mix, the surfactant composition comprising a polyoxyalkylenethat is defined by the formula

    HO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.a --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 (CH.sub.3)O).sub.b --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.c H

where a and c represent the weight percentages of the ethylene oxideportions of the polyoxyalkylene and the sum of a and c is from 10 to 20percent, where b represents the weight percentage of the propylene oxideportion of the polyoxyalkylene and is from 90 to 80 percent, and wherethe molecular weight of the propylene oxide portion of thepolyoxyalkylene is from 1,900 to 2,000.
 2. A method for reducinghydrophobicity of soilless mixes comprising the step of:applying asurfactant composition to a soilless mix, the surfactant compositioncomprising a polyoxyalkylene that is defined by the formula

    HO(CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 O).sub.d --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.e --(CH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.f H

where d and f represent the weight percentages of the propylene oxideportions of the polyoxyalkylene and the sum of d and f is from 20 to 90percent, where e represents the weight percentage of the ethylene oxideportion of the polyoxyalkylene and is from 80 to 10 percent, and wherethe molecular weight of the propylene oxide portions of thepolyoxyalkylene total from 1,700 to 3,100.
 3. A method for reducinghydrophobicity of soilless mixes comprising the step of:applying asurfactant composition to a soilless mix, the surfactant compositioncomprising a polyoxyalkylene that is defined by the formula

    CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.g --O--(CH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3)O).sub.h --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.i --H

where g is an integer from 3 to 13, h is an integer from 4 to 12, and iis an integer from 8 to
 16. 4. A method according to claim 1, where thesum of a and c is 20 percent, and where the molecular weight of thepropylene oxide portion of the polyoxyalkylene is
 1950. 5. A methodaccording to claim 1, where the sum of a and c is 10 percent, and wherethe molecular weight of the propylene oxide portion of thepolyoxyalkylene is
 1950. 6. A method according to claim 2, where e is 10percent, and where the molecular weight of the propylene oxide portionsof the polyoxyalkylene total
 3100. 7. A method according to claim 2,where e is 20 percent, and where the molecular weight of the propyleneoxide portions of the polyoxyalkylene total
 2500. 8. A method accordingto claim 2, where e is 80 percent, and where the molecular weight of thepropylene oxide portion of the polyoxyalkylene is 2,500.
 9. A methodaccording to claim 3, where g is 7, 9 or 11, h is from 4 to 6, and i isfrom 8 to
 12. 10. A method according to claim 1, where the surfactantcomposition further comprises hydrous amorphous silica as a carrier. 11.A method according to claim 2, where the surfactant composition furthercomprises hydrous amorphous silica as a carrier.
 12. A method accordingto claim 3, where the surfactant composition further comprises hydrousamorphous silica as a carrier.
 13. A method according to claim 1, wherethe surfactant composition further comprises from 1 to 49 percent of aco-solvent, and emulsifying agent, or a dispersing agent.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 13, where said dispersing agent is a mono or dialkylphenol ethoxylate.
 15. A method according to claim 2, where thesurfactant composition further comprises from 1 to 49 percent of aco-solvent, and emulsifying agent, or a dispersing agent.
 16. A methodaccording to claim 15, where said dispersing agent is a mono or dialkylphenol ethoxylate.
 17. A method according to claim 3, where thesurfactant composition further comprises from 1 to 49 percent of aco-solvent, and emulsifying agent, or a dispersing agent.
 18. A methodaccording to claim 17, where said dispersing agent is a mono or dialkylphenol ethoxylate.